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Maxi Shield, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Star, Dead at 51
The Drag Race family is mourning the loss of one of their brightest stars.
Months after sharing her diagnosis with throat cancer, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under season one star Maxi Shield has died, the nightclub that hosted her show confirmed in a statement. She was 51.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the news of our beloved Maxi Shield’s passing,” Universal Sydney performance licensee Dillon Shaw shared in the Feb. 22 message on the venue’s Instagram. “In all my years in this community, there has never been a time I can remember when Maxi wasn’t an iconic presence (and she’d absolutely smack you for reminding her of that).”
They continued, “Maxi worked across every queer venue in Sydney, touching hearts not only across the country but around the world through her appearance on Drag Race Down Under.”
Dillion further remembered Maxi (real name Kristopher Elliot) for her “quick wit, and her remarkable spirit.”
“Maxi was a big personality with a heart of gold,” the statement continued. “I’m heartbroken that the world won’t get to see this legend light up a stage again, and that I won’t get to share another giggle over lunch with my friend. Her love, her humour, and her impact live on through the incredible Sydney talent she directly influenced, and through the scene she helped shape with such passion.”
Remembering Maxi’s legacy, the statement added, “She was a force. She was brilliant. And I will miss my friend dearly. Fly high, you incredible queen. We love you.”
Following the news of her death, Maxi’s reality TV family, including Drag Race Down Under lead judge Michelle Visage, shared memories of the drag star.
(Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)
"I loved this queen,” she wrote in a Feb. 23 Instagram post alongside a picture of her and Maxi, who placed sixth during the inaugural season. “A glorious human on the inside and out. Your love, heart, talent and energy will be missed…. @maxishield rest in power, my angel, you were truly one of a kind.”
Fellow Drag Race Down Under contestant Karen From Finance also shared a picture of her and Maxi writing, “Our girl.”
Five months before her death, Maxi had shared she had been diagnosed with throat cancer. At the time, she noted it had a “70/80 percent treatment rate,” and assured her fans she would return to her drag performances following cancer treatment.
In January, Maxi offered her final update with a bit of optimism, as she revealed that amid her recovery and completing chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she would make her return to the stage on Feb. 5.
“I do have some really fabulous news though,” she wrote in the Jan. 30 Instagram post. “I will be returning to the stage this Thursday 5th Feb at Palms for Karaoke Bare. And then on the Friday 6th Feb at the Oxford.”
“Drag has been my life for ever and to have this amount of time away from something i truly love has been challenging,” she added. “So just having a date has really helped mentally to push forward.”
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